UA-R-GC-1914-01-01-1963-02-14_Page-023

• I I I -8- 5. THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY-THE PROPORTION OF THE BUDGET WHICH CAN BE OBTAINED FROM PRIVATE SOURCES AND THE AMOUNT AND CHARACTER OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT. After careful study, of its past support and of developing support in recent years, the University is of the opinion that it can continue to secure a sizeable proportion of its total budget from private sources, (tuition fees. endowment income, grants from foundations, corporations and individuals), It finds itself, however, under constant pressure to expand and expansion with quality means greatly increased costs. This pressure to improve the quality of its program has outstripped funds available to the University, Increased competition in several aspects of higher education in the United States has made the University's financial situation more precarious. Already the problem of staffing is crucial, for American salaries and shortages of college teachers and research experts have increased staffing costs. Concurrently competition for private funds for higher education has grown proportionately. In addition, there are times when disturbed political conditions in the Middle East may make it difficult to increase support from private sources. From the viewpoint of the "American presence" in Egypt, one can truthfully say that the time in which it is hardest to secure private support is precisely the time when ,from the long-term point of view, a strong presence is most needed. In view of the pressure for rapid growth and the fluctuating character of private support it would appear that a firmly based and expanding organization would require some one-half to two-thirds of its budget to be secured from the United States Government in both U.S. dollars and Egyptian LE. (PL 480 Funds). 6. THE IMPLIED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ThE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO IF U.S. GOVERNMENT SUPPORT IS INCREASED The most satisfactory kind of support from a university point of view, and one that is important in the pol itical con t ext of its local operation, is that which allows it the maximum amount of autonomy possible. An income from endowment funds would insure this most - successfully. A possible procedure in administering the endowment might be the creation of a Board of Trustees composed jointly of representatives of the University and the State Department. If an endowment is felt to be impracticable a satisfactory substitute would be ~ne establ ishment of a similar board to receive and transfer an annual appropriation